Helping a family through the first Christmas without a mom
Good Morning Angels and Pick n Pay will help lighten Gerrie Kotze's financial burden this Festive Season with R35,000 towards medical bills and other expenses, so he can focus on his children and family in their process of healing.
Gerrie Kotze from Centurion will spend the first Christmas as a single dad with his children, six-year-old Alexa and nine-year-old De Wet.
He is still coming to terms with the sudden death of wife, Michelle.
At 38 years old, she was a happy, healthy hands-on, working mom.
In July, Michelle suffered debilitating migraines. After a few weeks, her mom noticed that her face was drooping and rushed her to the hospital, where Michelle had a seizure.
It was a brain tumour. By the end of August, Michelle passed away in hospital.
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This came as a tremendous shock to all who knew her. Gerrie and the children are still coming to terms with life without Michelle.
"We've had so much support from family and friends - that's a testimony of the kind of person Michelle was," says Gerrie.
The family are on a basic medical aid plan, and unpaid bills are still coming in. Friends of the family set up a crowdfunding page, and Gerrie says this has helped a lot to cover the unforeseen costs, but more is still coming in.
That's why parents in Gerrie's school community wrote to Good Morning Angels!
REQUEST FOR: Gerrie Kotze and his children, Alexa and De Wet
REQUEST FROM: Bianca Grimes
ANGEL 1: Pick n Pay, our Good Morning Angels Festive Edition sponsor - creating moments of Magic this Festive Season.
SPONSORING: Nothing can fill the void of Gerrie and his children’s devastating loss. Pick n Pay will help lighten Gerrie’s financial burden this Festive Season, with R20,000 towards medical bills and other expenses, so he can focus on his children and family in their process of healing and, hopefully, new memories to carry Michelle’s legacy into the new year.
READ: Good Morning Angels Festive Edition with Pick n Pay
ANGEL2: The Good Morning Angels Fund NPC
SPONSORING: The Good Morning Angels Fund will add another R15,000 towards Gerrie's outstanding expenses and medical bills.
ORIGINAL REQUEST:Helping a young family who lost their mom and wife due to an unknown brain tumour.
Morning Jacaranda & Good Morning Angels.
Today, I am coming to you with a broken heart and asking for assistance for a fellow parent who recently lost his wife. Michelle Kotze was a 38-year-old mother of two young children: Alex (6) and De Wet (9).
She started suffering from migraine in July and was admitted to hospital after her mother noticed the side of her face was drooping. They did a scan that revealed Michelle had a brain tumour.
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That night, she started having seizures and was placed on a ventilator. They did a biopsy surgery, which showed the tumour was benign; however, days later, a second operation was needed to insert a drain and sensor into the middle of her brain.
Michelle was placed in a coma and never woke up. She passed away on the 28th of August at 1:23 in the morning.
A BackaBuddy fund has been established to assist the family with all the medical and funeral bills, but it is going slow. If there is any way that you can please help this family we would all really appreciate it with all our hearts.
Thank you so much!
Kind Regards
Bianca Grimes
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IMAGE: Supplied